LOS ANGELES — When the Dodgers decided to start Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 1 of this National League Division Series with the San Diego Padres, it disappointed one very interested observer.
“My personal hope was that (Padres right-hander Yu) Darvish would have faced off against Yoshinobu,” Ohtani said through his interpreter before Game 1. “Obviously that’s not going to happen this time around.”
It might happen Friday night. Or it might not.
Darvish started Game 2 and will start Game 5 for the Padres. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts would not name a starter when he spoke before the Dodgers’ workout Thursday afternoon. Echoing his answer following their 8-0 victory in Game 4 on Wednesday night, Roberts said Thursday that the Dodgers had not “finalized” the pitching plan for Game 5.
“Obviously I’m sure Yoshinobu will be a part of it,” Roberts said. “How we will deploy the relievers around it, if that’s the case, I just don’t know.”
Padres manager Mike Shildt joked that he “flipped some coins and I couldn’t get the answer” to who will start for the Dodgers in Game 5.
“Somebody’s going to show up and we’ll be ready for him,” Shildt said. “At some point they’re going to have to announce it, but we’re not in any real hurry, quite honestly.”
Shildt was asked if he thought there might be “gamesmanship” behind the Dodgers not announcing a starter. The Dodgers announced a starting lineup for Game 4 with Freddie Freeman in it but scratched him before game time. After the game, Freeman said he was never going to play and the maneuver was just “gamesmanship.”
“Everybody operates their own club the way they operate it,” Shildt said. “We’re more like Vince Lombardi — power sweep, here it is. Yu Darvish is going to start, here’s our lineup.
“Our lineup was pretty good for 10 runs, six runs, five runs. This is who we are and we’re going to compete and execute. If we do that, we’ll shake hands and pop champagne.”
Yamamoto, who signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers in December, did not pitch well in Game 1. He gave up five runs, putting the Dodgers in an early hole, and Roberts pulled him after three innings.
In three starts against the Padres this season, the 26-year-old right-hander has given up 13 runs in just nine innings. After two of those starts – his MLB debut in South Korea and his postseason debut in this NLDS – there were suspicions that Yamamoto had been tipping his pitches.
“I think we’ve cleaned stuff up,” Roberts said. “To their credit, they did a good job scouting and stuff like that. But I think, overall, kind of where Yoshinobu is at, I feel really comfortable.
“The Korea start is even hard to really talk about. … It’s just lack of command. When he hasn’t commanded the baseball, he hasn’t been really that good. But when he’s convicted and ripping it and attacking hitters with his pitch mix, he’s as good as anyone. I think that, from Korea to the last one, when you start kind of nibbling and getting behind, that’s when he’s not at his best.”
The Dodgers followed Yamamoto’s rough start in Game 1 with six scoreless innings from the bullpen. Eight of those relievers combined for a shutout in a must-win Game 4.
After that success, the Dodgers are considering another bullpen game in Game 5 (or delaying Yamamoto’s entry into the game with an opener or two).
“It’s a big part of it,” Roberts acknowledged.
“Coming off of what they did last night makes everyone feel pretty confident going into Game 5.”
Ohtani certainly sounded confident that he will get to see his preferred matchup – at some point – Friday night.
“Personally, I’m really excited that (Darvish) is going to perhaps be facing Yoshinobu,” he said.
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Freddie Freeman (ankle) went through a limited workout on the field Thursday. After missing Game 4, Roberts said he expects Freeman to be in the lineup for Game 5.
“I think Freddie is going to be in there,” Roberts said. “With two days off – he didn’t try to get ready yesterday. He’s feeling better today with treatment. So I just feel like tomorrow he’ll be in there.”
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After the game in San Diego on Wednesday, Freeman said he was still very much “day to day.”
“So tomorrow (Thursday) we’ll go through treatment and see how we go,” he said then.
Meanwhile, Miguel Rojas (strained adductor muscle) is not expected to play in Game 5. Tommy Edman will start at shortstop, Roberts said. But he wouldn’t say who will replace Edman in center field.
Kiké Hernandez is the likely choice. He is 2 for 6 in this series. A career .238 hitter with a .713 OPS during the regular season, Hernandez has hit .276 with an .886 OPS in 74 postseason games.
“Obviously you’re managing with urgency because every game is important, the moment is important and Kiké has shown that he gets up for the postseasons,” Roberts said. “That’s self-admitted as well. So just kind of what he’s done, it’s hard to ignore that.”